


The three times Richie Tozier felt heavenly and the one instance he felt like he was in hell.

by thescarletwitchh



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Boys In Love, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescarletwitchh/pseuds/thescarletwitchh
Summary: To put it simply, there were only three times Richie's life where he felt like he was in heaven whilst still being alive, and one instance where he felt like he was in hell.
Relationships: Richie Tozier/Stanley Uris
Comments: 1
Kudos: 49





	The three times Richie Tozier felt heavenly and the one instance he felt like he was in hell.

**Author's Note:**

> I will re-proof read I promise.

Summer of 1994.

Stan and Richie are laying down on a picnic blanket under the sun, Richie was - as per usual – asleep and Stan was trying to watch a family of birds with his binoculars, the one Richie bought him for his eighteenth birthday and had S.U. engraved on the side.

_Stan looked over at Richie, contemplating on whether he should wake him up or not, he decided that if he let Richie sleep then he’d miss out on the birds, or at least that’s what he convinced himself as the reason why he’s disturbing Richie's peace. Stan reached over and gently poked Richie’s arm “Richie, hey rich,” he said gently as Richie started to stir awake. “Hey stan, are we leaving?” he looked mildly confused and started looking for his glasses, stan placed the glasses on his nose. “No, I... uh, I wanted to show you something I thought you might enjoy,” Stan said hesitantly slowly regretting the decision to wake Richie up thinking it was stupid. _

_“Show me,” Richie said as he sat up straight fully awake now, it snapped Stan out of his thoughts, he handed him his binoculars. “Okay look over there, there was a family of birds and they were working together to make a nest,” Stan said as he pointed towards the tree trying to direct Richie when he spotted them a soft smile grew on his face, but stan hadn’t seen it. “I’m sorry I woke you up, it was stupid” Stan started rambling unable able to stop himself, Richie slowly reached out and put his hand on top of Stan’s “Don’t apologise, that’s the best thing I’ve seen all week” Richie said softly “and besides isn’t this why we come bird watching?” He laughed lightly, “well you maybe only coming along with me to sleep under the sun” Stan replied smirking slightly. _

_Richie faked a gasp “Staniel Maniel I Am Hurt” he said feigning despair in his voice. “Ugh STOP with that nickname,” Stan said yet he couldn’t help but laugh. _

_Richie couldn’t help but notice how radiant Stan was when he was laughing, the sun’s golden rays bouncing off of his skin, his dirty blonde curls vibrant, his eyes were almost completely shut. He wanted to freeze this moment and cherish it forever. Although he knew it wouldn’t do justice to Stan, not even by a little bit, he quickly grabbed the camera and snapped a picture. _

_Stan’s laughter faltered and his heart rate picked up when he realised Richie had taken a photo of him. “What?” Richie had asked playing dumb, “You looked good in this lighting, I had to stanny,” He said with a smile as he fanned the polaroid, Stanley only smiled as he felt his heart jump into his throat. _

_Later that day, when they had finally gone home, Richie has convinced Stan to stay over, they had spent the evening talking about different types of birds laying on the bed in opposite directions, in which stan would complain that Richie's feet were disgusting, and Richie would only laugh and try to shove them closer. By the time they had decided to go to bed, it was 1:30 in the morning, and Richie was so spent to even argue with stan about who gets to sleep where, so he just pulled stan down on the bed and hugged him to keep him put. He fell asleep before Richie and had with a small smile on his face, while Richie stayed awake thinking about how he could live this day on repeat for the rest of time. _

They are 20. 

They were moving out. They were finally moving out. Out of this shithole town. Out of their shitty houses. Out of their rooms filled with shy kisses, and light giggles, and chipped paint.

They were moving out and leaving everything behind. Bowers and his gang. The ramped homophobia and transphobia. They were also leaving behind the park where they went to bird watch, where they shared their first kiss, where Stanley would talk for hours about birds and Richie would stare at him not really paying attention to every word being said because every now and then Stans curls would look perfect. each curl standing individually yet they were packed together. sunlight pouring on the two of them as Stanley’s freckles were peppered all over his cheeks, nose and forehead. (and if you ask Richie would tell you that if stans freckles display constellations in the stars) 

They were moving out and leaving the close-minded freaks that put religion into and before everything and anything. They were moving out and they were leaving the barrens, the clubhouse, and the kissing bridge. It was bittersweet, they had their best memories there, but they simultaneously had their worst.

It was that fateful Tuesday night that Richie couldn’t sleep because his brain kept looping the thought of him and Stanley living together. Him and Stanley eating breakfast early in the morning before going to class. Waking up to Stanley next to him. Annoying Stanley while they’re making dinner. The thoughts kept replaying themselves, over and over and over again. Until he couldn’t not make them come true.

That’s how Richie ended up breaking into Stan’s bedroom to tell him to ‘move out this town and in with him in a different one’. That’s how Stanley ended up smiling really widely because he was thinking of the exact same thing.

They’re 27, and its November 18th.

Richie fixes his tie in the mirror as Eddie comes up from behind him, as a huge smile on his, and placed a hand on Richie’s shoulder. “You ready Rich?” He was excited, “Of course he’s ready!” said none other than Beverley Marsh walking in. “Do you have the ring?” Richie asked her for the seventh time this hour, she had half a mind to play a trick on him and pretend she lost it, but considering he’d probably faint she decided against it, and simply nodded.

“It’s time Stanny Boy!” Mike exclaimed as Stan drew in a nervous breath and smiled. “You have the ring, right?” He made sure it was placed in a purple velvet box, it was Richie’s favourite colour. “Why yes, I do! And Bill is downstairs talking care of everything, so no need to worry” Mike reassured him. Today was going to the day he remembers for the rest of his life.

Richie was right in front of the door. He was nervous and excited; he felt like he was going to throw up. Everyone was on the other side of that door, and most importantly, Stanley. He pushed the doors open gently and started walking down the aisle, the moment his and Stan’s eyes locked he started to tear up. He was going to marry the love of his love.

The ceremony went according to plan and exactly how they had envisioned it, and when they were exchanging their vows Richie made sure Stanley along with everyone else there that “You can’t rid of me that easy” Stanley only laughed and responded with “Guess I’m stuck with you” before planting a kiss on Richie’s lips.

After the reception, when the wedding itself started Richie made sure everyone knew that he was now ‘Richard Uris and shall only be referred to as that’. It surprised everyone including their friends, and when he turned around to face Stanley expecting him to be half-embarrassed he was only smiling softly. That entire night Richie had one thought and one thought only, ‘I’m married to Stanley fucking Uris.’

They’re 59 and 60. 

It’s June. 

Stan had gotten very sick, he had to be moved to the hospital. He lays there asleep, the creases in his face relaxed, his silver hair still curly but thinner than it used to be. Just as he is, thinner than he used to be. There’s a tube attached to his nose. The doctors had told Richie it was cancer, stage 4. Chemotherapy would only turn the rest of Stans days painful, Stan himself said that if it was, he wouldn’t do chemotherapy. 

He was in the hospital room sitting in a chair next to stan’s bed, holding his hand and crying silently. This man whom he spent his entire life with, the man he loved with everything he has, the man he was willing to rip his own heart out for, the only person who made him feel alive, the love of his life, but not even that phrase fully shone light on how much stan meant to him. And he was going to die. The thought made him sob loudly. 

Richie knew that there was no such thing as living forever, but the whole situation came so suddenly. they had been through hard times in their life, but this was the end and although it's been 60 years it feels so early, it feels like ..it feels like his whole world is ending. Richie just wasn’t ready to say goodbye. 

this made him cry harder. _goodbye. no no not yet please _he begged silently he was never religious and he deep down he knew it wouldn’t work, it was inevitable the doctors had confirmed it, there was no avoiding this, yet for some reason he found himself whispering over and over again to let Stan live and how he’d do anything, _anything_. 

It had probably only been a couple of mins, yet his head pounded vigorously. His chest felt heavy, his eyes empty and he was too drained to even form a thought. By then stan has woken up, “Richard Uris are you crying?” Stan said, his words spoken strongly but his voice weaker than usual. Richie looked up surprised and smiled. “Yeah you fell asleep and left me all alone” Richie spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. He was glad Stan could still joke around, Stan rolled his eyes at Richie’s response. “60 years and you’re still as overdramatic as ever” Stan pretended to be annoyed. “It’s part of the Richie charm” he winked or attempted to, Stan laughed a proper laugh. Something he hadn’t done in a while, it quickly turned into a coughing fit and Richie grabbed a glass of water near them and helped Stanley drink. 

“Easy there, don’t want you dying on me” _right now there’s still time Richie said, _stan smiled at him and held Richie's hand again weakly, “You’re not getting rid of me that easy”, Richie smiled with so much sadness in his eyes it felt like he might shatter, “you’re right I'm stuck with you”. 

This time stan only smiles it’s clear that there’s something on his mind. “What’s wrong? are you in pain? do I get the nurse?” He’s panicked. He’s been panicked ever since... “No no Rich I’m fine, I’m just worried” the sentence ended in a whisper. 

“Worried about what?” 

“I’m worried about you” 

Richie was taken aback by this statement, stan was the one that had a debilitating disease, yet somehow, he was still worried about _him. _

“Why are you worried about me?” 

“Richie I’m dying, you and I both know it. In a month or two tops. You’ll be alone and I can't bear to think...” Stanley was crying now, Richie placed a kiss on his hand, tears ran down his face “...I can’t bear to think about you completely alone.” he continued. 

Richie stood up, placed a soft and wet kiss on stans forehead. “Stan, I’m not going to be completely alone. Bev and Eddie are still around” He trying to reassure him, he knew what stan meant, but what else could he have said. “Richie,” Stan said in that _way_, that way that meant I love you but please stop avoiding the topic. 

“Stanley. Stanley… please let’s just...let’s just please enjoy your time together, please” His eyes were begging, there was a lump in his throat, he didn’t want to cry but fuck did he feel like he was about to. Stan dropped the topic, he smiled and changed the subject because he knew as much as it pained him to think about Richie alone, it tortured Richie to think about him gone. 

That night watched a bird documentary, but for the first time, Stan had fallen asleep under the tv light. His hand gripping Richie’s and the ghost of a smile on his face from a joke Richie had said.

********************************************************

Stan died on July 27th just a week or so after his own birthday. He had fallen asleep holding Richie’s hand, and for some reason that night Richie couldn’t get any sleep so he had stayed by the bed holding on to Stan’s hand. In the morning when Richie had gotten up to get himself a glass of water, Stans heart monitor indicated that he had flatlined. Richie had placed a kiss on his forehead, “Until we meet again, my love” he had whispered with tears falling out of his eyes, right before the nurses had run in. 

Richie passed away soon after on October 10th from the heartbreak, and finally reunited with Stan, they met in the same park that they used to birdwatch in.

“I told you, you can’t get rid of me that easy” Stanley said, both of them looked like themselves in their early twenties. “Shut up Stan that’s my line,” Richie said intertwining his hand with Stan’s.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!   
for more writing styles like this follow me on @/wallowstozier or check this link out   
https://twitter.com/wallowstozier/status/1186723911855157251?s=21


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